Usually I try to make a TBR for the next month, but for March I will not write down which books I’d like to read. I really think that I would not make it. The reason for that is that I have joined a Harry Potter (re)readathon. I have read the whole series in Dutch back in 2008 and never read them again. For this readathon I have bought the English box set. I have always wanted to have the books in English and this seemed like a good reason to actually buy them. So this month you will probably see me reading Harry Potter.

February

In February I have only finished three books. For some reason I spent a lot of time on other things, such as watching movies and catching up with friends. That was fun as well.

I am currently reading two books, as I had already picked a new book on my kindle before the readathon started. I might read some novels on my Kindle next to Harry Potter. We will see. If so, I will of course also write reviews for my blog. If not, it might be a bit quiet around here this month.

I found this book on one of the book fairs I have been to in 2015. ‘What would you sacrifice for love?’ is the question on the cover. Well, I was wondering what the main character was going to do and what she had to sacrifice for love. The theme of this novel is pretty heavy, but I do love a bit of drama.

What the book is about

What would you do? When Deborah reluctantly helps her beloved husband, Neil, end his life and conceals the truth, she is charged with his murder. As the trial unfolds and her daughter Sophie testifies against her, Deborah, still reeling from grief, fights to defend her actions. Twelve jurors hold her fate in their hands – and if found guilty she will serve a life sentence. But is the assisted suicide of a person you love murder?

What I think about the book

This is not a very thick book and I thought I would finish it in just a couple of days. That wasn’t the case. For some reason it took me forever (or 11 days) to finish it. I didn’t really enjoy the way it was written. I just wanted to know what would happen, but the book was quite slow paced and it seemed to drag on.

The Kindest Things goes back and forth between things from the past and things that are happening right now. In the past we learn about Deborah’s family, how she lost both her mum and dad, how she has met Neil and what their relationship was like, but also about Neil’s illness and the troubles they get into with their son. Deborah has got a ton of drama to deal with in her life. It hardly seems fair. Here and now she is standing trial for helping Neil. Guilty or not guilty?

Though I knew that Deborah did help him (which would make her guilty), I tried to sympathize with her. What would I decide if I would be part of a jury? I had no idea. I mean, I would understand it if Neil would want to end his life before his suffering became too much. I just don’t think that I could do what Deborah did. Not like this. I would try to find another (more legal?) way to help Neil. Maybe that’s because we’ve got more options here in the Netherlands? I am not sure how this would work in other countries. So I could not entirely feel sorry for Deborah.

I finished the book and it wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t as good or exciting as I thought it would be. Therefore I will just give it three stars.

I have bought this book for it’s title and cover. There, I said it. Yes, sometimes I do judge a book by its cover, without even reading the synopsis. Well, in this case it was definitely a good guess, because I really loved the story.

What the book is about

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

What I think about the book

The first part of the story got me hooked. Travis is the ultimate bad boy and I had an instant book-crush on him. Yes, he is everything a girl needs to stay away from, but I do find that quite attractive. Like Abby, I would not rush into things. That seems like a smart thing to do.

Abby didn’t really seem like such a good girl herself, although there was nothing ‘wrong’ with her, I had no idea what was in her past. It became clear that she and her friend America left home for good reasons. When I finally found out what her past was like, it felt like a major plot twist. Whoa! It was not at all what I expected, but at least it made me understand why she was able to stand up to Travis the way she did.

And then there was Parker. I loathe guys like him, who think they can make girls like them with expensive dinners and presents that are over the top. I find it a bit creepy, as if they have no soul. I could not like him, no matter how hard I tried. Ugh. Exit Parker, hello Travis!

Of course Travis and Abby find their way together. You can feel that from the very beginning. Abby and Travis have this friendship / relationship going where things can go either up or down, but nothing in between. When it’s good, it’s awesome, but when it’s bad… You better hide. I can relate to that in a way. For some people it seems like a bad thing, but these two can totally handle each other, good or bad. I liked that.

While I found the beginning of the story total 5 star material, I did end up giving the book just 4 stars. It became a bit unrealistic near the end and things were getting out of control. I still liked it, but it was different somehow. When I finished it, I thought “Did that just happen to them?” and I wondered if the ending was okay. Maybe it was, but I wasn’t so sure. It didn’t change my mind entirely, I still loved Travis and Abby – and all the others in the book.